Spain's King Juan Carlos is to abdicate after almost four decades and his son, 46-year-old Crown Prince Felipe, will take over the throne, the country's prime minister announced Monday.
A constitutional amendment will be required to allow the change to take place, Mariano Rajoy said in a televised statement.
"His majesty, King Juan Carlos, has just communicated to me his will to give up the throne," Rajoy announced. "I'm convinced this is the best moment for change."
A source told Reuters: "It's a political decision. He is abdicating given the new challenges in Spain because he thinks it's necessary to make way for the new generation."
Juan Carlos, 76, oversaw his country's transition from dictatorship to democracy but has had repeated health problems in recent years.
His popularity also dipped following royal scandals, including an elephant-shooting trip he took in the middle of Spain's financial crisis during which he broke his right hip and had to be flown from Botswana back to Spain for medical treatment aboard a private jet.
His image was also tarnished by the investigation of his son-in law, who is suspected of embezzling large amounts in public contracts. The king came to power in 1975, two days after the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
